GRACIE JIU-JITSU ATHENS at American Black Belt Academy

“Our six-year-old daughter has been training here for over a year, and my husband and I agree that enrolling her in the Little Dragon program was the best decision. She's found a supportive community and developed great friendships. Beyond the physical exercise, she's also learning essential discipline. The instructors' vibrant energy, professionalism, and patience with the kids are why our daughter always looks forward to coming back. The Little Dragon program is fantastic for children, the circle talk and teamwork activities are particularly beneficial and clearly demonstrate the instructors' thoughtful planning. We'll definitely recommend this program to other families with kids.”

“Great atmosphere & great people. The beginnings of Gracie JiuJitsu at American Black Belt Academy have been wonders, and I’m more the grateful each day I get to train under Randy and Ryan, along side everyone else who is in their jiujitsu journey. I hope to continue training and developing here for years to come!”

“Gracie Athens is where you want to train if you're interested in street effective, self defense based martial arts in the Athens area. The father/son instructor duo of Randy and Ryan McElwee can't be beaten. They're passionate, knowledgeable, organized, and excellent communicators. I dropped in while traveling from Pennsylvania, and I would gladly train here full time if I lived in the area. This school has perhaps the most organized and well constructed curriculum that I've ever seen, and I've been to a good number of schools. The student atmosphere is second to none. All students are respectful and helpful. No need to worry about getting injured or pushed too hard, but on the other hand, the training is highly realistic and covers a broad range of real life self defense scenarios, giving you the tools to defend yourself and others. I could rave forever, but the bottom line is you need to book a class here and you'll see for yourself that this is an amazing place.”

“Empowered and Grateful! 💪 Today, I had the incredible opportunity to take a self-defense class at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Athens, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. After a recent scary experience—being attacked by a homeless person in DC last week—I knew I needed to equip myself with practical skills to feel safer and more in control. In just two hours, I walked away feeling stronger, more prepared, and deeply empowered. The instructors were nothing short of exceptional—professional, efficient, highly skilled, and incredibly effective in teaching real-world techniques that could make all the difference in a dangerous situation. Beyond the technical training, the atmosphere was welcoming, supportive, and encouraging. It’s rare to find a space that balances care and community with high-impact, effective training, but they do it perfectly. I now have a newfound confidence in my ability to protect myself, and I look forward to continuing this journey and honing both the mental and physical skills I gained today. If you’ve ever considered self-defense training, this is the place to go. Thank you, @graciejiujitsuathens !”

“Was explicitly told by the director that trans people aren't welcome in their co-ed classes because it might make the women with "experiences" uncomfortable. Cis men seem to be fine though. As a sexual assault survivor myself I can't say I appreciate the implication that I am somehow inherently predatory and dangerous to a co-ed environment. I do appreciate being informed of the hostile environment before I wasted my money at least.”